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New Jersey · Cape May Peninsula · #718
Cape May County, New Jersey
At the southern tip of New Jersey where Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic, Cape May County is simultaneously America's oldest seaside resort, one of the world's great migratory birding destinations, and the most Victorian-preserved coastal landscape on the East Coast - a peninsula that takes its heritage seriously and has the architecture to prove it.
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Cape May County Office of Emergency Management – Cape May Court House, NJ 08210; confirm current phone via capemaycountynj.gov. Uses the Regroup Emergency Alert Notification system.
Sheriff: Cape May County Sheriff’s Office – 4 Moore Road DN 301, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 | (609) 465-1233 | Fax: (609) 463-6464. Law Enforcement Division accredited by the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police.
Corrections: Cape May County Correctional Center – 125 Crest Haven Road, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 | (609) 465-1233; PREA-approved, medical unit accredited by NCCHC, annually inspected by NJ Dept. of Corrections.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: The Garden State Parkway terminates at Cape May, the county’s southernmost tip; Cape May Court House is the county seat.
Notes: Cape May County, formally created November 12, 1692, is separated from mainland New Jersey by the narrow Cape May Canal.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Cape May County – confirm current phone via capemaycountynj.gov.
Notes: The City of Cape May is genuinely, famously “America’s Oldest Seaside Resort” – tourists began arriving as early as the 1700s, drawing Philadelphia’s elite as the destination rivaled Newport, RI. The entire city was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its extraordinary concentration of roughly 600 restored Victorian-era buildings – the largest concentration of Victorian architecture in the United States (second only to San Francisco by some counts), largely rebuilt in the Victorian style after a devastating 1878 fire destroyed 30 blocks. Notable landmarks include Congress Hall (built 1816) and the Emlen Physick Estate. Four sitting U.S. presidents (Buchanan, Grant, Harrison, Pierce) vacationed here historically.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Cape May County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via capemaycountynj.gov.
Federal: Philadelphia/Atlantic City area VA facilities (nearby).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Cape May City Library – Ocean Street, Cape May, NJ; small local branch featuring an aquarium and nautical-themed collection reflecting the town’s seaside heritage. Confirm current hours via capemaycountynj.gov for the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Cape May Historic District (Victorian architecture), Cape May Lighthouse (lighting ships since 1859), Cape May Point State Park, and Cape May National Wildlife Refuge (over 11,000 acres, expanding toward 21,200) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “America’s Oldest Seaside Resort” status and the National Historic Landmark Victorian architecture designation are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Cape May County Board of Taxation – confirm current contact via capemaycountynj.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Cape May County Animal Shelter & Adoption Center – Shelter Road (off Moore Road), Cape May Court House, NJ | (609) 465-8923 | [email protected]; county open-intake facility serving 15 municipalities (Avalon, Stone Harbor, Sea Isle City, Wildwood area towns, Cape May, Dennis Twp, Lower Twp, Upper Twp, Middle Twp, Woodbine, and more); Director Judy Davies-Dunhour.
Animal Outreach of Cape May County (nonprofit) – low-cost spay/neuter clinic and adoption center.
Cape May County Animal Welfare Society (nonprofit, Dias Creek) – no-kill shelter support.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Cape May County – confirm current contact via capemaycountynj.gov.
NOTES: Cape May County is the fifth county in the New Jersey v2 A+ sourced redo’s first batch (Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex). The genuine “America’s Oldest Seaside Resort” status and its National Historic Landmark Victorian architecture are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Cape May County
Cape May City’s Victorian architecture – the most extensive collection of Victorian structures in the United States outside San Francisco – is a genuine National Historic Landmark District whose preservation began when the resort fell out of fashion in the early twentieth century and its Victorian buildings survived simply because no one could afford to replace them. The irony of neglect as preservation is complete: what failed to be modernized became what makes Cape May irreplaceable.
The Cape May peninsula is also one of the world’s premier migratory birding destinations – the geographic funnel of New Jersey’s southern tip concentrates millions of birds as they navigate the Delaware Bay crossing in spring and fall, and the Cape May Bird Observatory is one of the most important avian research and birding tourism institutions in North America. The county’s shore communities – Wildwood, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle City – provide the full range of New Jersey Shore character from family amusement to upscale retreat.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
New Jersey assesses property at 100% of true value. Property owners may appeal to the County Board of Taxation. New Jersey’s inheritance tax applies to Class C and D beneficiaries.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Cape May County Department of Aging and Disability Services
4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
Phone: (609) 886-2784
Senior Services
Cape May County Department of Aging and Disability Services
4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
Phone: (609) 886-2784
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
4 Moore Rd., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609) 465-1010
COUNTY CLERK — ELECTIONS
4 Moore Rd., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609) 465-1015
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Cape May County Surrogate’s Court, Cape May Court House (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Cape May County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Cape May County Surrogate’s Court 4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (609) 463-6666 Cape May County is at New Jersey’s southern tip, seated in Cape May Court House.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
New Jersey probate is governed by Title 3B of the New Jersey Statutes. The elected Surrogate’s Court in each county handles uncontested probate matters; contested matters are referred to the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part.
Affidavit of Surviving Spouse (N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3) – available only when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate) and the total value of real and personal assets does not exceed $50,000. The surviving spouse, civil union partner, or domestic partner may file this affidavit with the Surrogate’s Court and receive the assets without formal administration. The first $10,000 of the estate is free from the decedent’s debts. There is no affidavit shortcut if a will exists – a will must always be probated regardless of estate size.
Affidavit of Next of Kin (N.J.S.A. 3B:10-4) – available only when the decedent died intestate, there is no surviving spouse/partner, and the estate does not exceed $20,000. One of the next of kin may file this affidavit with the written consent of all other heirs of equal or greater priority.
Regular (Formal) Probate – required whenever there’s a will, or when an intestate estate exceeds the small-estate thresholds above.
Step 2: filing for regular probate
File an Application for Probate with the Surrogate’s Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled (as soon as 10 days after death).
The Surrogate admits the will and issues Letters Testamentary, or – for intestate estates – appoints an administrator and issues Letters of Administration. A surety bond may be required for an administrator.
The Surrogate issues “short certificates,” which the executor/administrator uses as proof of authority – a certificate is typically needed for each asset that must be transferred or sold.
The personal representative notifies creditors and beneficiaries; New Jersey’s creditor claim period is 9 months from death.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays debts and taxes (including any New Jersey Inheritance Tax return, if applicable), and distributes the remaining assets according to the will or New Jersey’s intestacy statute.
The estate is closed with a final accounting filed with the court.
What it costs
Surrogate’s Court filing fees generally range from about $100 to $250 depending on the county and the complexity/value of the estate.
New Jersey does NOT require an attorney for probate, but one is commonly recommended for anything beyond the simplest estates.
UNIQUE TO NEW JERSEY: New Jersey has an INHERITANCE TAX that applies to transfers to “Class C” and “Class D” beneficiaries – nieces, nephews, friends, and other non-immediate relatives – even for relatively small inheritances; there is no minimum exemption threshold. Transfers to a spouse, civil union/domestic partner, parents, children, grandchildren, and stepchildren (“Class A” beneficiaries) are exempt.
New Jersey repealed its separate state ESTATE tax for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2018 – only the inheritance tax remains at the state level.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
4 Moore Rd., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609) 465-1135
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK — ELECTIONS
4 Moore Rd., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609) 465-1015
ELECTIONS
4 Moore Rd., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609) 465-1015
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
NJ DHHS — Cape May
(609) 886-6200
Cape Regional Health System
caperegional.com (Cape May Court House — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Cape May County Health Department – confirm current contact via capemaycountynj.gov.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Cape May Court House
Population: 95,000
Area: 255 sq mi
Established: 1692
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Cape May County facilities via Amazon.
